Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett has applauded the Jamaican owned, managed and staffed S Hotel which has been ranked as one of the best in the world by Conde Nast Traveler, the world’s top and most prestigious travel magazine.

S Hotel Jamaica, which is located on Jimmy Cliff Boulevard, in Montego Bay, St James, was also ranked as the number one hotel in the Caribbean and Central America by Conde Nast Traveler.

“It is an impressive ranking for a hotel that opened in 2019, a year before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Bartlett.

“S Hotel is Jamaican in every sense and they are known to be very meticulous in their operations. It is good to see Jamaica’s higher end resorts getting this attention – the emphasis on Jamaican culture, first rate service and that family feeling is gaining a lot of traction. Kudos to the phenomenal team there for continually striving for perfection,” said Bartlett.

The S Hotel ranked at a global number 16 on the magazine’s 2023 Best Hotels in the World Readers Choice Awards which has been running for 36 years and had a whopping 526,518 participants in their annual survey by the magazine that’s the centrepiece of a global mass media giant founded in 1909 and headquartered in New York City.

The list is dominated by ritzy brands like the Ritz Carlton, Four Seasons, Peninsula and Shangri-La resorts spanning the globe.

Conde Nast, in its commentary on the award-winning hotel, noted that: “At S Hotel you get the laid-back vibe of a stay in Jamaica with a bit of South Beach glitz. They even line the deck of their sleek pool with some of the island’s famous white sand. If that isn’t enough sand for your liking, the hotel also offers private access to idyllic Doctor’s Cave Beach and its gentle surf.”

The review continued: “Inside, the ocean view rooms are big enough to pass for apartments in some big cities. And they lay a minimalist black and white colour scheme over a beachy aesthetic (think, lots of wicker furniture, including covering the bathtub) that will leave you feeling maximally relaxed.”

The travel magazine also highlighted the ‘Irie Baths and Spa’ on the premises, and its three underground plunge pools (hot, warm, and cold) that provide kinetic energy therapy, in addition to the usual massages and skin treatment options.

S Hotel’s general manager, Ann-Marie Goffe-Pryce credited the collective efforts of the staff, the hotel’s partners and guests who she says have been a significant part of the journey.

“This accolade marks our unwavering commitment and dedication to crafting unparalleled and authentically Jamaican experiences to you, our discerning globetrotters,” she stated.